


Shadow of the Moon

by FaerieBones



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dark Harry Potter, Harry Has Secrets, M/M, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Mentor Voldemort (Harry Potter), Possessive Voldemort (Harry Potter), Quiet Harry Potter, Sane Voldemort (Harry Potter), Slytherin Harry Potter, Smart Harry Potter, Somewhat Good Voldemort (Harry Potter), Well-Meaning Albus Dumbledore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:07:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23549647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaerieBones/pseuds/FaerieBones
Summary: Hogwarts students start their first year at 17 years old instead of 11, and a very different Harry Potter comes to Hogwarts because of this.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort
Comments: 33
Kudos: 320





	Shadow of the Moon

**Author's Note:**

> I accidentally posted this. I meant to save it as a draft. It will be undergoing a few minor and maybe major changes.

It had been nearly sixteen years since the last time Albus Dumbledore had laid eyes on Harry James Potter, the boy who lived, and the prophecy child chosen to defeat Tom when he chose to rise to power again. Albus didn't doubt that he would rise up again to reclaim the mantle of Lord Voldemort, he'd even set a little bait to try to lure whatever was left of the dark lord back to the school, to finally have proof after all these years that Tom hadn't really died that Halloween. Not to mention, even if Tom didn't find a way into the school to steal the philosopher's stone, this would be the perfect way to test young Harry Potter's character.

Albus had admittedly been unsure when he placed Harry in the dubious care if his aunt and uncle, but it was for the best. Mrs. Figg had been charged to keep watch over the boy, and she had reported that Harry was ill treated and unloved, and of course Albus felt bad for that, but he needed the boy to view the magical world as an escape from the abuse. He needed him hopeless. It would have been better to introduce him to magic as a child, but there was no knowing what he'd be taught without Albus' guidance. Albus needed Harry devoted to him and if that meant not allowing him knowledge of magic before Hogwarts, that was the price of the greater good. Lots of muggleborns came to Hogwarts without prior magical knowledge after all.

The only problem was who to send to introduce the boy to magic. Originally he'd planned to send Hagrid. He was kind, boisterous, big enough to intimidate the Dursley's, and most importantly he was devoted to Albus. However, he hadn't expected Harry to respond to the letter, so not only did Albus have a thousand duplicated letters he had to cancel the spell work on, but he also didn't have Hagrid to send because he'd sent Hagrid to see about a problem in the forest, and Hagrid wasn't going to be back until two days before Harry's birthday. So, Hagrid was out, and that put Albus in a little bit of a conundrum.

He couldn't send Severus, he was too prejudiced against James Potter and his hatred for Harry was already well known despite never meeting the boy. He wanted Harry in Griffindor, so Fillius and Pomona were out as well. As much as he hoped to send Minerva, she was already swamped. Trelawney was too afraid to leave her tower on a good day. No one else was available on the seventh of July at noon, when Harry had requested to meet up at a small muggle cafe three blocks away from the Leaky Caldron. He couldn't go himself, unfortunately, due to a prior engagement, so really that left Sinestra and Quirrell.

Mrs. Figg had mentioned that Harry was shy, and Albus didn't know if he'd be comfortable with someone as stern and intimidating as Sinestra in a place away from the Dursleys. However, ever since he got back from Albania, Quirrell had been acting odd. His stutter was worse than ever, he was skittish, and if it hadn't been for the ministry trying to force their way into the school Albus would have deemed him far to traumatized by whatever happened with the vampires to teach defense. If it was vampires he'd actually run into. Albus had heard a rumour about Tom being in an Albanian forest, and it was just as likely that Quirrell had been forced into something nefarious by the not-quite dead dark lord. Still, even so, Quirrell did seem to be the best choice of the two. Sinestra wasn't the type to suffer fools and she was uncomfortably sharp, she would certainly see the signs of abuse. Quirrell was likely to fall to the curse anyways, so if he did notice the signs he wouldn't be able to do much, and if he survived the year Albus could always arrange a little accident if he needed. He didn't need Harry slipping from his grasp too soon, especially given that next summer would be his last with the Dursleys unless Albus could arrange some incentive.

He penned out a note and had Fawkes deliver it. Soon Harry Potter would arrive in the wizarding world and he could start training him to be the perfect savior. He popped a lemon drop in his mouth. Things were going perfectly.

\--

"M-Mister P-Po-Potter?"

Harry Potter sat at a table outside Scones Cafe with a book in one hand and the other aimlessly stirring a spoon in a mug of earl grey. A half eaten lemon scone sat on a plate before him, forgotten in lieu of reading A Midsummer's Night Dream. When he heard his name, he glanced up and blinked at the man. He looked ordinary enough, neither young nor old, neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin, perfectly ordinary, except the purple turban and weird robe thing he was wearing over his ordinary grey suit.

"Hello." He greeted, tucking a few sprigs of dried pressed lavender into his book to mark his place. "Are you the representative from Hogwarts?"

"I - y-yes." The man stuttered, glancing about nervously. "Quir-Quirrinus Qu-Quirrell." He held out a hand after he sat across from Harry. "C-can't tell you how p-pleased I am to m-meet you."

"The pleasure is mine." Harry smiled awkwardly. "Apologies, but I don't shake. I'm not fond of touch."

He awkwardly rubbed the bruise hidden under his jumper, hoping the man didn't notice the unintentional motion. If he did, Quirrel didn't show it, instead Helet his hand fall with a wry little smile.

"It m-might be ob-obvious, b-but I am n-not fond of p-p-people." He shared.

Harry smiled, filing the information away. "Want anything? Tea?"

"No, th-thank you." Quirrell shook his head, "I un-understand you h-had questions about H-Hogwarts? "

Straight to business then. Harry nods. "Yes, for starters, if you please, could you prove magic is real?"

Quirrell looks around for a second, then pulls out a thin brown polished stick, which he waved in a circular motion then zigged down while saying "Serpeculo sculanivi." 

On the table, the glass vase transformed into a small glass snake, the water and small white flowers floated around inside the moving glass body as it slithered across the table and around Harry's hand. The detailing of the glass was amazing, from the scaled groves in the glass, to the tiny glass tongue that poked out as he brought it up to his eyes.

'Hello' the snake hissed, and Harry blinked.

'Oh, hello.' he greeted.

Quirrell jolted back as if shocked. "You're a pareseltongue!?" He exclaimed in a confused sort of voice with wide eyes, and Harry noted the lack of stutter with a bit of suspicion.

"A what?" He asked.

"A pareseltongue." Quirrell had an odd quality to his voice now. "You can talk to snakes."

Harry blinked. "What do you mean? I only said hello. It spoke English, didn't it?"

"No." Quirrell smiled, "It hissed. You hissed. It's a rare skill, even in the magical world, one I'd keep close to your chest. Many people consider it a dark skill, evil, due to the last dark lord being able to speak it. It's strange for you to be able to speak it I must admit."

" Why?" Harry asked.

"Well , it's a hereditary gift, and the Potter's are not related to Salazar Slytherin as far as I'm aware." Quirrell tilted his head, "Your mother was muggleborn, born to non-magical parents that is, so it's not likely you got it from her either."

Harry hummed non-committally, stroking the snakes scales. "I'll keep that in mind." There was a short slightly awkward silence, in which Harry took a few sips of tea before Quirrell spoke again.

"Oh right, I'm meant to be telling you about Hogwarts." He said, clearly flustered but still not stuttering, and then he proceeded to explain Hogwarts, it's classes, and the four houses, until Harry's work alarm went off and Quirrell left with a word of caution, warning him that he was famous in the magical world, but leaving the reason a mystery for Harry to figure out.

As Harry finished his tea and paid for his scone he watched the man walk away and vanish in the mouth of a dark alley. There was something of a mystery about the odd professor, and Harry did love a good mystery. Hogwarts, he decided, would be quite fun. The glass snake slithered tighter around his wrist, proof of magic, proof that Harry was special, more than whatever he'd done to earn the title of Boy-Who-Lived. 


End file.
